In partnership with American Express, the Backing Small Business Grant Program supports economically vulnerable and under-resourced small businesses with community reach.  This year, eligible small business owners can apply for $10,000 grants for projects that grow or improve their businesses by building community, supporting their economic viability, or bolstering meaningful change. Applications will be accepted from 9:00AM CST (10:00AM EST) on March 14th through April 7, 2024 at 11:59PM CST (12:59AM EST). To learn...

The City of Columbia's Office of Business Opportunities will be hosting the Federal Tax Updates For Your Small Business webinar on Thursday, March 14th.  Senior Stakeholder Liaison, Evette Davis from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be providing important information and resources to small business owners on preparing for the 2024 tax season! For more information and to register, click here to go to our Eventbrite page!

  The Richland County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  is hosting the Show Me The Money: How To Finance Your Business webinar on Saturday, March 23rd beginning at 10:00AM via Zoom. Mr. Allen Brown of the SC Community Loan Fund and OBO Director, Ayesha Driggers will be participating in this event.  For more information and to register, click here to go to the event registration page!

Richland School District 2 will be hosting its inaugural Small and Minority Businesses Reverse Trade Show on Tuesday, March 26th at Richland 2 Institute of Innovation (R2i2), 763 Fashion Drive, Columbia, SC.  For more information and to register, click here to go to the Richland 2 Small and Minority Businesses Reverse Trade show webpage!

The City of Columbia's Office of Business Opportunities will be hosting the Bridging The Generational Gap in the Workplace Series: The Acquisition and Retention of Generation Z on Wednesday, March 27th virtually and in person at the Earlewood Park Community Center! Tyson K. Brown, Executive Director of Project OneWay will discuss how small business owners can use different tools to help acquire and keep Generation Z employees! For more information and to register, click here to go...

The City of Columbia and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be hosting a Small Business Town Hall on Thursday, March 28th at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center! Join the City of Columbia and the U.S. Small Business Administration for this informative event to provide information and resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs!  For more information and to register, click here to go to the Office of Business Opportunities Eventbrite page!

The Deeper Than Dentistry's Healthcare Career Summit: Empowering the Next Generation will take place on Saturday, April 13th at the USC Alumni Center, 900 Senate Street, Columbia, SC 29201. This event aims to expose bright minds to the dynamic world of healthcare and ignite a passion to serve others through medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and more.  For more information or to register, click here to go to the Deeper Than Dentistry's Eventbrite page!

The Office of Business Opportunities along with Midlands SCORE, Benedict College Women's Business Center, SBA Veterans Business Outreach Center, and Richland Library will be participating in the Columbia Lender Matchmaker Event hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration! Join us for this event to meet one-on-one with SBA lenders and community resource partners on Tuesday, April 30th at the Richland Library Main Auditorium!  For more information, click here to go to the Richland Library Events...

    The City of Columbia's Office of Business Opportunities will be hosting the City of Columbia's 11th Annual Small Business Week Conference on Wednesday, May 1st at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbia Greystone! This year's keynote speaker will be Dr. Stephanie Kirkland, CEO and Founder of Identity Dynamics, LLC.  Also, social media expert Ken Walker will serve as our Master of Ceremony!  During the conference, there will be breakout sessions with community resource...

The City of Columbia will host Food Trucks & Friends on Friday, May 3rd from 11:00AM to 3:00PM at 2300 Bull Street (REI Co-op Parking Lot)! In addition to food trucks, Toms Creek Mobile Market and Columbia Animal Services will be participating.  Shop for groceries, check out a local food truck, or adopt a new best friend! For more information, contact the Office of Business Opportunities at (803)545-3950.

  Are you a small business owner ready to grow your team's talent?  Are you trying to grow your business instead of juggling endless roles?  Apprenticeship Carolina will be hosting information sessions across the state in May!  Participants will have the opportunity to network with small business owners and applicable resources to enhance their ability to grow and upskill your organization's talent through registered apprenticeship! The sessions will be held at the following locations and...

The City of Columbia's Office of Business Opportunities and Made With Cola Love will host the Bookkeeping 101 workshop on Tuesday, May 7th beginning at 10:00AM at the Columbia Empowerment Zone building, 1509 Lady Street! Join Dr. Shelia Tutwieler-Dawkins on this informative workshop on bookkeeping for small businesses and entrepreneurs!  For more information and to register, you can go to the Bookkeeping 101 Eventbrite page!